Prakosa targets Singapore, Malaysia to curb log smuggling

Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Angered by reports that Singapore, Malaysia and China have been collecting illegal logs from Indonesia, Minister of Forestry M. Prakosa has decided to visit the countries early next month to seek solutions to curb the illicit activities.

On the sidelines of a hearing with House of Representatives Commission III for forestry and agriculture on Tuesday, Prakosa told The Jakarta Post that the ministry would prioritize Singapore and Malaysia as the countries to be visited first.

He explained that log smuggling could be reduced drastically if the government managed to urge the two countries not to accept illegal logs from Indonesia.

"We shall discuss the issue immediately in bilateral talks with the government of Singapore and Malaysia, as more than 50 percent of illegal logs are smuggled to those countries," grumbled Prakosa.

He explained that before visiting the two countries the ministry would first coordinate on the matter with Minister of Trade and Industry Rini Soewandi to obtain the necessary trade information.

If possible, Rini would also be asked to join the government team to visit the two countries, he said.

As reported on Monday, during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Center for International Forestry Research, Prakosa lashed out at a comment that Singapore, Malaysia and China were the countries that received the greatest amount of illegal logs from Indonesia.

Prakosa said that of the countries approached by Indonesia for the issue, Singapore was the most uncooperative.

The country had not yet responded to Indonesia's request, despite the fact that the government had repeatedly urged the city-state to stop receiving illegal logs.

The government is attempting to get as many countries as possible to sign an agreement, restricting them from receiving illegal logs from Indonesia.

Malaysia and China signed a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia last year to prohibit their companies from receiving illegal logs from Indonesia. Both countries have also agreed to begin bilateral talks regarding the follow-up of the agreement.

Just recently, the country's plywood companies, under the Indonesian Wood Panel Association (Apkindo), also complained about illegal log smuggling to the above countries.

Apkindo said that exports of plywood from Indonesia plunged by 15 percent in the first semester of this year as China and Malaysia flooded the export market with cheaper plywood made from logs taken illegally from Indonesia.

The association said that for the first half of the year, the country's plywood exports dropped to 2.7 million cubic meters from 3.2 million in the same period last year.

Illegal logging has become one of the country's major problems as it has ruined Indonesia's rain forests and the quality of the environment in general.

In many areas, illegal logging has also involved government officials and individuals from the military.

Illegal logging produces some 50.7 million cubic meters of timber annually, resulting in financial losses to the state of at least Rp 30.42 trillion (US$3.37 billion).

At least 1.45 million hectares (m ha) of forest are felled annually, of which only 0.67 m ha are legally felled.